Synopses & Reviews
This volume is the essential outcome of several years of post-excavational endeavour. In the course of it, the understanding of the historical contexts of the Roman establishment at Wilderspool developed, broadened and changed. Most influential in this respect were - at the time - the entirely unpremeditated, and fortuitous, developer-funded excavations elsewhere on the related Roman road network in the West Midlands and North West of England. Perhaps foremost among these was the excavation of part of the settlement at Holditch, in Staffordshire, which, so it is thought, was not only similar to Wilderspool in its underlying raisons d'etre, but appears also to have had a history - or fate perhaps - that seems to have been closely linked to, and to reflect, the inexorable northward movement of Roman military logistical supply of material in the Claudio/Neronian to Flavio-Trajanic periods. Furthermore, these inter-settlement links and developments all appear to relate closely, in particular, to the great Roman northward arterial system to the west of the Pennines. With its side-roads and 'tributaries', this converged on the Mersey Crossing at Warrington, and in so doing provided a direct, physical, link between the establishments at Wilderspool and Holditch. In this volume, therefore, the authors decided to present the reports on excavations at both places in a single volume, in the hope that the reader will find this beneficial; and also that this will facilitate understanding of each place and the underlying historical contexts.
Synopsis
Gifford Archaeological Monographs Number Two
This volume is the essential outcome of several years of post-excavational endeavour. In the course of it, the understanding of the historical contexts of the Roman establishment at Wilderspool developed, broadened and changed. Most influential in this respect were - at the time - the entirely unpremeditated, and fortuitous, developer-funded excavations elsewhere on the related Roman road network in the West Midlands and North West of England. Perhaps foremost among these was the excavation of part of the settlement at Holditch, in Staffordshire, which, so it is thought, was not only similar to Wilderspool in its underlying raisons d'Etre, but appears also to have had a history - or fate perhaps - that seems to have been closely linked to, and to reflect, the inexorable northward movement of Roman military logistical supply of material in the Claudio/Neronian to Flavio-Trajanic periods. Furthermore, these inter-settlement links and developments all appear to relate closely, in particular, to the great Roman northward arterial system to the west of the Pennines. With its side-roads and 'tributaries', this converged on the Mersey Crossing at Warrington, and in so doing provided a direct, physical, link between the establishments at Wilderspool and Holditch. In this volume, therefore, the authors decided to present the reports on excavations at both places in a single volume, in the hope that the reader will find this beneficial; and also that this will facilitate understanding of each place and the underlying historical contexts.
With contributions by H. Cool, G. Dunn, G. Lucas, G. McDonnell, W. Manning, D. Shotter and M. Ward
Synopsis
This report publishes and analyses archaeological work undertaken at the Romano-British settlement at Wilderspool in Warrington from 1991-93. Settlement at the site began in the 1st century AD, and it seems from the start to have been associated with the military. There is considerable evidence of industrial activity, principally iron working and pottery. Such evidence is most plentiful at times of known military activity in the area, and the authors suggest that the settlement's main function was as supplier to the army. There is evidence of increased agricultural activity from the 3rd century when industries went into decline. The evidence from Wilderspool is supplemented with that from Holditch in Staffordshire, a sizeable Romano-British settlement which peaked in size and importance in the early 2nd century, and then quickly fell in disuse after 150, the result, the authors suggest of a northward shift in military stationing.